Challenges in the treatment of asthma in children and adolescents

Alternative strategies that might improve pediatric asthma management and control include replacement of short-acting β2-agonist relievers by an inhaled corticosteroid plus a fast-acting β2-agonist (short-acting β2-agonist or fast- and long-acting β2-agonist) combination at Global Initiative for Asthma step 1 or 2 to ensure that patients receive an inhaled corticosteroid whenever they feel the need for symptomatic relief. Such an approach could eliminate the problem of learned overuse or over-reliance on short-acting β2-agonist reliever medication and address the other challenges in current pediatric asthma management. Clinical studies in pediatric patients or large studies involving a proportion of pediatric patients are required to provide the supporting evidence needed to help advance such new approaches and improve asthma control from a pediatric perspective.